Using Qualitative Questionnaires in Medical Education Research.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Qualitative Research Methodology

Background:

• Many students in Health Profession Education courses lack experience with qualitative research.
• Students often default to using questionnaires with open-ended questions, mistakenly equating this with qualitative research.
• There's a lack of methodological literature on designing rigorous qualitative questionnaires.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the decision-making process and justification for using qualitative questionnaires.
• To demonstrate how to produce rich and meaningful findings using qualitative questionnaires.
• To offer a framework for developing rigorous qualitative questionnaires.

Main Methods:

• The paper draws on examples of student research and existing literature.
• It emphasizes prioritizing qualitative research values in questionnaire design.
• It advocates for a rigorous design and development process for qualitative questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Qualitative questionnaires can yield rich and meaningful findings when designed rigorously.
• Prioritizing qualitative research values is crucial for effective questionnaire design.
• A structured approach enhances the quality of data collected via qualitative questionnaires.

Conclusions:

• Rigorous design and adherence to qualitative research principles are essential for effective qualitative questionnaires.
• The paper provides a framework to guide students and supervisors in developing qualitative questionnaires.
• This approach can help overcome common misunderstandings of qualitative research in health professions education.